Assembly for mounting face protection devices on headgear



A rfl 2, 1958 w. TIMM ETAL ASSEMBLY FOR MOU NTIN G FACE PROTECTIONDEVICES ON HEADGEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 Filed Nov. 22, 1966 1 VENTORS. 4472-2 77mm, HLBEET E J8ES7T BY J KM W April 2,. 1968 TMM ETAL 3,375,52

ASSEMBLY FOR MOUNTING FACE PROTECTION DEVICES 0N HEADGEAR Filed Nov. 22,1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a f f 25"? {a 16 @Q 725% yg i #45527 5.665587. BYa 15 their 9 7" rozA/e f United States Patent 3,375,529 ASSEMBLY FORMOUNTING FACE PROTECTION DEVICES 0N HEADGEAR Walter Timm, Pittsburgh,and Albert E. Sebest, East McKeesport, Pa., assignors to Mine SafetyAppliances Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania FiledNov. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 596,159 6 Claims. (Cl. 28)

This invention relates to improvements in assemblies for mounting faceand/or eye protection devices, such as welding helmets, faceshields,goggles, and the like on protective headgear and more particularly toassemblies in which the protection device is supported by a band thatsurrounds the crown of a protective headgear.

There is a wide variety of shapes, sizes and designs of protectiveheadgear and face protective devices to be used in conjunction withprotective headgear. Depending on the configuration of the particularprotective headgear and face protective device to be used together,different face protector mounting points in relation to the hat arerequired to give optimum protection. In accordance With this invention,the face protective device is mounted on a bracket that is adjustable toa plurality of fixed positions on a band encircling the headgear,thereby providing a plurality of fixed face protector mounting points inrelation to the hat.

An object of this invention is to provide an assembly for supportingface protection devices such as goggles, faceshields and welding helmetsthat can be removably mounted on protective headgear and is adjustableto give optimum protection to the wearer. A further object is to providesuch an assembly wherein the position at which the face protectivedevice is attached is circumferentially adjustable in relation to theprotective headgear.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the assembly;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the band adjustment means taken atline II-1I of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the bracket of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of the bracket of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top elevation of the bracket;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the bracket; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the band, bracket and frictionjoint, including a face protection device, in position on a protectiveheadgear.

Referring to the drawings, the assembly 1 comprises a band 2 of anymaterial that is flexible yet sufiiciently rigid to tend to retain itsshape, such as rigid vinyl, having one overlapping end 3 slidablyengaged with an integral channel end 4 and spring adjustment means 5 forvarying the circumference of the band. Grooves 6 on the outside of theband are adapted to engage ribs 14 to allow circumferential adjustmentof brackets 7. Conventional friction joint assemblies 8 supportingfaceshield 23 are removably mounted on brackets 7.

Bracket 7, as shown in FIGS. 4-7, preferably molded in one piece fromany material that is flexible yet sufficiently rigid to tend to retainits shape, such as rigid vinyl, has a planar wall 9 having two slots 10that substantially divide the lower portion of the wall 9 into two sidesections 11 and a center section 12. Each of the side sections hasmolded therewith a lug or loop 13 by which the bracket 7 is slidablyattached to band 2, and a rib 14 to intermesh with the molded grooves 6on band 2. Center section 12 extends downwardly below side sections 11and terminates in an inwardly extending hook 15 that engages the brim 16of a protective headgear 17, as shown in FIG. 7. A second wall 18 issubstantially parallel to and spaced from the front wall and has a keyslot 19 therein to receive friction joint assembly 8. lSidewalls 20 areintegral with the planar and second wa ls.

.The band 2 has an overlapping end 3 slidably engaged with integralchannel end 4, the channel preferably being molded with the band. Spring5 is secured at its ends to the band adjacent to overlapping end 3 andoverlapped channel end 4 by rivets 21. The spring 5 lies in opening 22of channel end 4, the opening serving as a guide for the spring.

In operation the face protection device is assembled to the frictionjoint assemblies 6, the brackets 7 are positioned on the band grooves 6by applying hand pressure on both sides of the band grooves so as torender that portion of the band a straight line or slightly concave, sothe brackets can be slidably moved to the desired position. Uponrelaxation of the hand pressure, the band reverts to its normal curvedposition and the intermeshing of the band grooves 6 and the bracket ribs14 firmly hold the bracket in position. The assembly is then placed overthe crown of the protective headgear with the bracket center portion 12extending toward the head gear brim and prefer-ably with the .bandadjustment means 5 to the rear of the headgear. Hand pressure is thenapplied to the top of brackets 7 forcing the band downward over thecrown until hooks 15 engage the brim 16 of the protective headgear asshown in FIG. 7. Spring 5 stretches so that the band tightly engages thecrown adjacent the brim of the protective headgear. The bracket positionmay be readjusted by removing the assembly from the protective headgear.This is done simply by applying thumb pressure to the inside of one ofthe hooks 15 and pushing outwardly from the brim until the hookdisengages the brim. The assembly can then be lifted off the headgear,the necessary adjustments made as above and the assembly remounted onthe headgear.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explainedthe principle and mode of practice of our invention and have describedwhat we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, wedesire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specificallydescribed.

We claim:

1. An assembly for mounting a face protection device on a protectiveheadgear comprising:

(a) a band adapted to surround the crown of a protective headgear havingopposed side portions and a plurality of circumferential-1y spacedgrooves on the outer surface of said side portions,

(b) a pair of opposed brackets, each of said brackets comprising:

(1) a substantially planar wall adjacent said grooved band surface,

(2) two U-shaped lugs integral with and horizontally spaced on said wallenclosing and slidably engaging said band,

(3) at least one rib integral with said wall, normally engaging saidgrooves and disengaging from said grooves when the band is flexed inwardly,

whereby the bracket may be circumferentially adjusted to different fixedpositions on the band.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 in which said planar wall'has upperand lower portions, two slots extending vertically through said lowerportion and dividing said lower portion into two side sections and acenter section, one said lug and one said rib being integrally formedwith each said side section and and inwardly extending hook integralwith said center section. i i

3. An assembly as recited in claim 1 in which each of said brackets hasa second wall spaced from and substantially parallel to said planar walland means for pivotally mounting a face protective device secured tosaid second wall.

4. An assembly as recited in claim 3 in which said a second wall has atop opening keyhole slot adapted to a downwardly overlapping portion,spring means secured at its ends to the band adjacent said end portionsand overlying said.

overlapping portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,759,188 8/1956 Maillart 2---8XR 3,137,005 6/1964 Herbine et al 28 XR 3,214,768 11/1965 Bohner 2-10FOREIGN PATENTS 1,345,651 11/1963 France.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

J. R. BOLER, Examiner.

1. AN ASSEMBLY FOR MOUNTING A FACE PROTECTION DEVICE ON A PROTECTIVEHEADGEAR COMPRISING: (A) A BAND ADAPTED TO SURROUND THE CROWN OF APROTECTIVE HEADGEAR HAVING OPPOSED SIDE PORTIONS AND A PLURALITY OFCIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED GROOVES ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SIDEPORTIONS, (B) A PAIR OF OPPOSED BRACKETS, EACH OF SAID BRACKETSCOMPRISING: (1) A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR WALL ADJACENT SAID GROOVED BANDSURFACE, (2) TWO U-SHAPED LUGS INTEGRAL WITH AND HORIZONTALLY SPACED ONSAID WALL ENCLOSING AND SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID BAND, (3) AT LEAST ONERIB INTEGRAL WITH SAID WALL, NORMALLY ENGAGING SAID GROOVES ANDDISENGAGING FROM SAID GROOVES WHEN THE BAND IS FLEXED INWARDLY, WHEREBYTHE BRACKET MAY BE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ADJUSTED TO DIFFERENT FIXEDPOSITIONS ON THE BAND.